Union Process, which makes particle size reduction and dispersing equipment, says that it has supplied a custom multi-tank lab Attritor System for grinding metal powders and advanced ceramics.

The system includes usage of up to six grinding tanks, with six agitator assemblies in a single unit. It is possible to accomplish multiple test batches under the same lab conditions, while a timing belt helps assure that all connected Attritor shafts run at the same speed for the same period of time. The Attritor features a support column to allows the user to raise or lower the tank and MECO shaft seals so powder can be ground under inert gas.

Union Process’ system is powered by a 3 HP, TEFC, explosion-proof motor with a variable frequency (inverter) drive installed in a wash-down duty enclosure mounted remotely. On the machine, there is a stop/start switch with potentiometer for controlling the speed.

This story is reprinted from material from Union Process, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

]]>Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:30:00 GMThttps://www.materialstoday.com/metal-processing/products/multitank-system-for-grinding-pm-and-ceramics/New software streamlines parts analysishttps://www.materialstoday.com/composite-processing/products/new-software-streamlines-parts-analysis/
Software developer Boothroyd Dewhurst has introduced a new version of its Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) software which is suitable for analyzing parts and assemblies.

DFMA software uses a question-and-answer interface that identifies opportunities for cost reduction in a product. It applies minimum part count criteria to find parts that can be consolidated/eliminated while maintaining functionality.

The 2019 version includes new CAD calculators that allow users to utilize more cost driver information directly from a 3D model and new graphical windows, charts and reports.

‘DFMA methods and data analyses are guiding engineers to reach the limits of what is possible in single-part functionality and economics,’ said John Gilligan, president.

This story is reprinted from material from Boothroyd Dewhurst, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Additive manufacturing (AM) company Renishaw, has collaborated with University Dental Hospital of Wales (UDH), Cardiff, to produce custom maxillofacial implants and surgical guides.

By using custom made devices, hospitals can reduce surgery time considerably because each device is designed to fit the patient, Renishaw says.

‘AM allows hospitals to achieve high precision when producing implants,’ said Ed Littlewood, marketing manager of Renishaw's medical and dental products division. ‘By collaborating with Renishaw, UDH can develop their maxillofacial implants further, seeing improvements with each case and helping a wider range of patients and surgeons across different departments.’

‘The team are involved in every stage of the development of new technologies for medical applications, including inputting CT data and making and manipulating digital models ahead of surgery,’ added Roger Maggs, head of dental technology services at UDH.

This story is reprinted from material from Renishaw, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

The QIH 286 M URC HIP features uniform rapid cooling and has a large-capacity work zone of 63 inches (1,600 mm) in diameter and 102 inches (2,591 mm) in height. It is reportedly capable of the densification of large batches at 29,000 psi (2,000 bar) and has a maximum operating temperature of 2280°F (1,250°C).

Stack Metallurgical Group, a provider of heat treating and metal processing services in the Pacific Northwest will offer four Nadcap-accredited locations with a focus on the aerospace, power generation, medical implant, and high-end knife and cutlery markets. The Mega-HIP will be installed in its 25,000 ft2 facility in Albany, OR, USA.

This story is reprinted from material from Quintus, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

An EU consortium have produced an aeroplane part made of graphene reinforced composite.

The project, entitled Graphene Flagship, is run by aerostructures company Aernnova, interiors developer Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria and Airbus. The partners produced a leading edge for an Airbus A350 horizontal tail plane. Because this is the part of the airplane wing or tail plane that first contacts the air, it must possess improved mechanical and thermal properties, the companies say. Graphene can help increase the mechanical properties of the leading edge, making it thinner and decreasing its weight. This can improve fuel saving and emissions reduction over an aircraft’s lifetime.

‘Aernnova supplied the resin to Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria who added graphene directly to the resin and applying milling forces,’ said Ana Reguero, project manager at Aernnova. ‘This creates small graphene particles, an important step to get good graphene infiltration within the resin, avoiding unwanted impurities, such as solvents, which can alter the viscosity of the resin. It is important to maintain the correct viscosity of the resin to ensure the optimal outcome during the resin transfer moulding of the leading edge.’

‘This work demonstrates the huge potential of graphene to improve the resin matrices employed in the aerospace sector,’ said Costas Galiotis, composites work package leader at Greek research center Forth.

This story is reprinted from material from Graphene Flagship, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

The mechanical and materials group at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has made use of automated depowdering units for cleaning laser melted metal parts made from reactive titanium alloys.

The units are made by Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH, which makes post-processing equipment for additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.

‘Powder removal is a critical phase of additive manufacturing for application ultra-high-vacuum,’ said Romain Gérard, AM engineer at CERN’s additive manufacturing workshop. ‘We observed that powder residues, that are subsequently sintered during heat treatment, act like sponges by trapping gases and releasing them at a very low rate. The SFM-AT300 automated depowdering unit from Solukon ensures a high depowdering quality with a safe environment for titanium and niobium powder.’

‘The combination of the reactivity of the used titanium powder and the complex internal structures of the parts make it perfectly suitable for our systems,’ said Andreas Hartmann, CEO and technical director at Solukon.

This story is reprinted from material from Solukon, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

]]>Mon, 07 Jan 2019 11:30:00 GMThttps://www.materialstoday.com/additive-manufacturing/products/cern-focuses-on-depowdering/Step towards graphene commercializationhttps://www.materialstoday.com/powder-applications/products/step-towards-graphene-commercialization/
Applied Graphene Materials says that it has fulfilled a purchase order for a graphene enhanced automotive aerosol primer, as part of its aim to commercialize its graphene powder.

‘The Board continues to focus on the commercialisation of its products and proprietary technologies via its numerous active engagements and has made good progress in recent months,’ said chairman, Bryan Dobson. ‘I am pleased to report that we have recently achieved a key milestone, having fulfilled the scale-up production purchase order from James Briggs Ltd (JBL) in preparation for full product launch. JBL has successfully completed its first production batch which is a significant milestone for commercial realisation. Extensive testing has demonstrated repeated and outstanding improvements in anti-corrosion performance for JBL’s automotive aerosol primer.’

The company has also participated in the opening of the UK’s Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC) in Manchester, UK.

‘Finding practical application solutions for the challenges surrounding the exploitation of graphene nanoplatelet technology is the key focus of AGM’s strategy for commercial progress and this is wholly complementary to the objectives of GEIC,’ added Dobson.

This story is reprinted from material from Applied Graphene, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Technology company Trumpf has developed a new green laser with pulse function, enabling pure copper and precious metals to be processed in a 3D printer for reportedly the first time. It works by connecting the company’s TruDisk 1020 disk laser with the TruPrint 1000 3D printer.

‘Conventional systems use an infrared laser as the beam source, but its wavelength is too long and it can't weld highly reflective materials such as copper and gold,’ said Thomas Fehn, Trumpf additive manufacturing sales manager. ‘This can be done with laser light in the green wavelength spectrum.’ According to Fehn, this could open up new possibilities for 3D printing, for example in the electronics and automotive industries.

‘Pure copper can be used to print particularly conductive inductors and heat exchangers,’ said additive manufacturing technology director Tobias Baur. The green laser also holds great potential for gold printing in the jewelry industry, enabling individual pieces to be produced on demand, with less waste, the company said.

This story is reprinted from material from Trumpfwith editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Additive.Designer can improve part builds according to user-defined criteria such as surface quality, production speed and the minimization of support structures for reduced post-processing. The software features intelligent component orientation via heat maps, which enables users to identify the best build plate positioning based on their chosen criteria and aids in increased quality results with significant material and overall cost savings, SLM says.

This story is reprinted from material from SLM, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Sandvik Coromant has developed two new drills for drilling aluminium automotive parts. CoroDrill 400 and CoroDrill 430 can be used for the machining of components in medium-to-large volumes and are supported by CoroTap 100, 200, 300 and 400 taps.

The two drills are available in the company’s N1BU solid-carbide grade, and CoroDrill 400 can also be produced using the new N1DU veined polycrystalline diamond (PCD) grade. N1DU provides PCD across the entire cutting edge, and due to PCD’s low coefficient of friction and high conductivity of heat, the tool’s cutting edges are less susceptible to built-up edge (BUE), Sandvik says. Sandvik Coromant recommends the use of the solid-carbide grade when the hole count is low and handling risk is high, while the PCD grade is preferable where hole count is high and higher productivity is required. CoroDrill 400 is recommended for drilling into solid material, as it features more flute volume for better chip evacuation.

This story is reprinted from material from Sandvik Coromant, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Hi-line has developed a new line of nitrogen/oxygen generators that can reduce the need to use bottled gas or bulk nitrogen/oxygen tanks.

The generators use pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology to produce the N2/O2 gas.

Hi-Line says that most large gas-producing companies only offer N2 at UHP (Ultra High Purity) of 99.99999% with no other option, even when the application in hand may require a purity of only 98% or 95%. Hi-line says that the cost of a 98% generator against a 99.99999% generator of the same flow is 10 times cheaper.

Nitrogen gas is used in a wide range of industries where safe, inert environments are required, including the production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Hi-line says that it can design bespoke generator systems for customers to help ensure lower running costs and a smaller footprint.

This story is reprinted from material from Hi-line, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Callaway Golf Company, which makes golf equipment, and GE Additive, have redesigned a putter head for production using additive manufacturing (AM).

The Odyssey R-Ball Prototype putter head required a geometry difficult to achieve using conventional casting methods. GE Additive worked with Callaway’s design and engineering teams to apply AM design practices, provide assistance on materials selection, develop parameters and test protocols to achieve the desired material properties. It has also helped Callaway identify other parts that could be produced in a similar way in the future.

‘Additive manufacturing is a new tool which is quickly going beyond the aspirational phase, and into the functionalization phase of the technology,’ said Brad Rice, director at Callaway.

This story is reprinted from material from GE Additive, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

In its booth Optomec will run demonstrations showcasing simultaneous 5-axis metal printing and a single tool path for both additive and subtractive processes on the same machine.

The LENS 860 Hybrid CA system has an 860 x 600 x 610mm work envelope and comes with a hermetically-sealed build chamber that maintains oxygen and moisture levels below 10 ppm for processing reactive metals, such as titanium. It can be configured with closed loop controls and a 3kW fiber laser.

‘With the LENS 860, customers can print and mill and perform finished machining on a printed part all on the same system without refixturing or aligning the component on a second machine.’ said Opotmec LENS product manager Tom Cobbs.

This story is reprinted from material from Optomec, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

]]>Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMThttps://www.materialstoday.com/additive-manufacturing/products/hybrid-3d-printing-at-formnext/Solvay introduces medical grade filamentshttps://www.materialstoday.com/carbon-fiber/products/solvay-introduces-medical-grade-filaments/
The company has introduced three medical grade products for use in the healthcare industry.

Solvay reports that it has expanded its range of filaments for additive manufacturing (AM) applications.

‘The healthcare industry is quickly emerging as a leading market to benefit from AM technology which makes customized parts for single use or low volumes possible,’ said Christophe Schramm, AM business manager at Solvay Specialty Polymers. ’However, there is still a very limited choice of high-performance filaments that meet the stringent regulatory requirements in healthcare and this is the gap we want to close with our new selection of medical grade products.’

The company’s KetaSpire PEEK AM filaments reportedly offer improved fusion of printed layers, high part density and improved part strength, including along the z-axis.

This story is reprinted from material from Solvay, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

According to Sweden’s Quintus Technologies, which supplied the press, it will help LCHT to integrate high pressure and heat treatment in a single system. The combined materials densification processes produce parts with improved fatigue and ductile properties for aerospace and medical device industries. The system features a work zone of 26 inches (660 mm) in diameter and 68.9 inches (1,750 mm) in height, an operating temperature of 2552°F (1400°C); and pressure of 30,000 psi (2,070 bar).

The QIH 122 URQ model press is the third Quintus HIP to be included in LCHT’s production portfolio and it is reportedly the first of its kind installed in North America to include quenching capability with controlled cooling rates up to 390°F (200°C) per minute.

This story is reprinted from material from Quintus, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

The company says that the new grades meet industry needs for stiffer and stronger materials, similar to existing reinforced injection molding grades.

The new materials include Zytel 3D12G30FL BK309, a black heat-stabilized 30% glass-reinforced polyamide with a modulus of 4-5GPA and Zytel 3D10C20FL BK544, a black 20% carbon fiber reinforced polyamide for lightweight components with a modulus of 4-5GPA. Both grades have a heat deflection temperature of >150°C, resistant to most solvents, cleaning agents, automotive fluids and fuels at room temperature.

‘[O]ur industrial customers need 3D printing materials that offer similar formulation, mechanical and chemical properties as our well-known injection molding grades,’ said Ernst Poppe, new business development manager, DuPont. ‘These new glass and carbon-reinforced 3D filaments are a new step in that direction to help the industry move toward cost-efficient, automated and larger scale production.’

This story is reprinted from material from DowDuPont, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Boeing and molding company Thermwood have joined forces to 3D print a large, single-piece tool for the 777X program.

Thermwood used a large scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) machine and newly developed vertical layer print (VLP) 3D printing technology to make the tool as a one-piece print from 20% carbon fiber reinforced ABS. It then trimmed the 12 ft R&D tool and delivered it to Boeing in August 2018.

Boeing research and technology engineer Michael Matlack said that using additive manufacturing (AM) technology in this application saved weeks of time, enabling delivery of the tool before traditional tooling could be fabricated.

This story is reprinted from material from Thermwood, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

Toll milling, also known as toll grinding, is the process whereby a company sends material to Union Process and Union Process grinds the material to the required final particle size and returns the end product to the company.

‘Our toll milling business has seen a dramatic increase and we saw the need to increase our capacity,’ said Union Process pilot plant manager Aaron Stalnaker.

This story is reprinted from material from Union Process, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

]]>Mon, 29 Oct 2018 17:15:00 GMThttps://www.materialstoday.com/metal-processing/products/union-process-updates-toll-milling-capabilities/Modifier could strengthen aluminum partshttps://www.materialstoday.com/additive-manufacturing/products/modifier-could-strengthen-aluminum-parts/
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST MISIS) in Moscow, Russia, has developed modifiers designed to strengthen 3D printed aluminum-matrix composites parts for aerospace.

The scientists from the non-ferrous metals and gold department have proposed a technology that can double the strength of aluminum-matrix composites obtained by 3D printing from aluminum powders and aluminum-based alloys , while bring them up closer to the quality of titanium alloys.

Titanium’s strength is about at the factor of six times higher than that of aluminum, but the density of titanium is also 1.7 times higher, the researchers says. While titanium is the optimal metal for manufacturing products manufacturing for the aerospace industry nowadays, it carries the risk of fire and explosion as a powder. One should be very careful by titanium powders 3D sintering. Aluminum is lightweight, with a density of 2700 kg/m3 and moldable, with an elasticity modulus of ~70 MPa but alone pure aluminum is not strong or hardsolid enough.

The solution on how to strengthen aluminum 3D printing was proposed by the research team led by Professor Alexander Gromov from the NUST MISIS, Department for Non-Ferrous Metals and Gold.

‘We have developed a technology to strengthen the aluminum-matrix composites obtained by 3D printing (SLM method), and we have obtained innovative precursors - modifiers by burning aluminum powders burning,’ said Alexander Gromov, head of the research group. ‘Combustion products — aluminum nitrides and aluminum oxides — are specifically prepared for 3D sintering: branched surfaces with transition nanolayers are formed between the particles. It is the special properties and structure of the precursor’s surface that allows the particles to be firmly attached to the aluminum matrix and, as a result, [doubles] the strength of the obtained composites.’

The developed modifying-precursors, based on aluminum nitrides and aluminum oxides and obtained through combustion, have become the basis of the new composite and can be used in products for the aerospace industry. Currently, the team of developers is testing the prototypes obtained with the help of new technology.

The research results have been published in the scientific journal Sustainable Materials and Technologies.

This story is reprinted from material from NUST MISIS, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.

]]>Fri, 26 Oct 2018 21:45:00 GMThttps://www.materialstoday.com/additive-manufacturing/products/modifier-could-strengthen-aluminum-parts/AGM launches adhesives rangehttps://www.materialstoday.com/composite-processing/products/agm-launches-adhesives-range/
UK-based Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) has launched two thermal paste adhesive materials: Genable 4400 and Genable 4300. The new products are available as two-part epoxy systems in thermal management applications and are designed for use either directly as a paste adhesive and gap filler, or as potential base additives to enhance other formulated systems.

The two products have been formulated to deliver different level of processing viscosity to suit specific application requirements and can provide in-situ thermal conductivity in the region of 3-6 W/mK, with improve levels of lap shear strength, the company says.

AGM says that the adhesives are suitable for bonding, potting, sealing and encapsulation of space, electronics and automotive components.

This story is reprinted from material from AGM, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.